Rihanna covers the latest American Vogue
TFS

I haven't been this happy about the cover of American Vogue since Emma Stone was featured back in the July issue. And I am so glad that Rihanna is partly responsible for my joy. Her last American Vogue cover was so awkward and the Vogue UK one that followed wasn't much of an improvement, which is a shame because I think Ri-ri would be a stylist's dream as she is super chameleonic but her personality always comes through. And they've finally managed that in this shot by Annie Leibovitz.

The signer models a red-hot Valentino (cooked) lace dress from the Resort 2012 collection. It looks absolutely amazing with the matching lips, the smoky eyes and the short hairdo she's sporting these days of which I'm a great fan. But, mostly, I love the fact that this cover reminds me of a Vogue Nippon story featuring Daria Werbowy back in 2009. If Vogue can keep this sort of slicker and edgier feel on their upcoming covers I would totally start buying the magazine again.

Shoe Porn Friday: Handcrafted lace espadrilles by Valentino

Since summer, if a somewhat sui generis one, has come back to London for a few days I thought today's Shoe Porn Friday had to be all about relax and chicness. Valentino's lace espadrilles are perfect for this mood. They look great with denim shorts and a fun top but they can also make super chic evening looks. They are a bit of a pricey indulgence but they're classic and when you see the work and care that goes into making them it really isn't that much.

Happy Friday!

Get the Look: Olivia Palermo at the couture shows
StockholmStreetStyle, Style.com

I realised today it had been ages since I had last seen Olivia Palermo before this week's couture extravaganza in Paris. I know there are as many fans of hers as there are foes but it's pretty evident that, at least in terms of style, she is simply spotless.

She looked drop-dead-beautiful yesterday as she made her way into the Valentino Couture show in Paris. She wore, of course, Valentino – a delicate pink number from the spring/summer 2012 collection. I love the fact that she added a chic narrow white belt (not pictured) because it added a a more formal touch to the look. I love the volume it crates on the back.

Olivia accessorised the dress with one of my favourite pairs ever: the crystal embellished suede Giuseppe Zanotti sandals. I actually blogged about them over a year ago and you can now get the cream version with 50% off from Net-a-Porter! She finished off the look with her favourite Wunderking cat's eye sunglasses, which she has been wearing since the good old times of 'The City'.

What do you think of Olivia's look?

TFS

I love the Olsens. In fact, I love them so much I would become a mormon so I could marry both. But you didn't need to know that, right?
I love their style almost as much –or is that part of the reason why I love them in the first place?– so I am thrilled to see them covering the latest special issue of Vogue Best Dressed.
I am loving the little Chantilly lace veils that sort of remind me of that great picture of them from a few years ago for Numéro Tokyo wearing the lacy Maison Michel bunny ears.
My only complaint about this cover is the fact that below their 'dynamic duos' section they've included Kate and Pippa Middleton. Seriously? What does dynamic duo even mean here? People move if they're alive so it's a good thing they're dynamic.

Also this week Net-a-Porter released their latest magazine featuring a special piece about The Row alongside a video where MK and Ashley explain what are the foundations of their brand and describe each other's style. They're just so cute and elegant and cool. Click here to watch the video.

1. Kate Middleton in Erdem, 2. Jess Stam in Vionnet on the new cover of Flare, 3 & 8. Erdem Resort 2012, 4. French Connection,
5. Top Shop, 6. New Look, 7. French Connection, 9. Prada @ Yoox

I already posted about Erdem's 2012 Cruise collection a couple of months ago. I was and I am still in awe of how beautifully simple it is. I particularly loved the navy (or ultramarine) lace, which seemed so chic to me.

Not long after the collection had come out, Kate Middleton picked a dress or two from this collection for her North American tour and she really look incredible in them.
And now it's Jessica Stam who a navy lace number by Vionnet for the September cover of Flare magazine.

I think it was the contrast of the blue next to the black font on the Flare cover that made me realise how much chicer and sexier than an LBD a navy dress can be in the summer.
And so, I decided to see the offerings of other designers and the high street in the navy lace department. None of the options are as exquisite and elegant as Erdem's, except maybe for the Prada jacket, but I think the New Look and French Connection options can make a really nice summer outfit if well accompanied and accessorised.

Courtesy of Vogue España

As you know, I am a big fan of less celebrated international editions of Vogue.
Vogue España has been doing a great job on their covers during the last few months and they've outdone themselves for the August issue! I would have never seen coming a Katie Holmes cover.
I love the fact that they've put her into a lacy dominatrix outfit. She looks like a female version of Peter Marino.
There isn't much of a summer feel to the cover but just like I said with the Vogue Paris one, it somewhat works because the August issue works as an introduction to September, so the line between the s/s and the f/w season is pretty blurry.
This is also Katie's first Vogue cover ever! She's done ELLE, Marie Claire, Another and Glamour and the past but this is a first. I know it's not Anna's or Emmanuelle's cover so it's not as internationally relevant but I love the fact that Vogue España is daring and trying new things. We have seen Kate Moss and SJP on too many covers...

What do you think?

Valentino's fw11 Aces

It might just be me but I am still feeling a little iffy about Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli's work at Valentino. It escapes me why they need two designers to come up with work that never lives up to Garavani's old standards. Having said that, they are kind of slowly finding their way and creating a new Valentino woman. The fw11 collection was a bit hit and miss but the hits, I thought, were big ones. The cocktail dresses and night gowns obviously stood out from the bowed and bland two-pieces. I specially loved the mustard/olive green colours they used for evening and the pale pink for the day. I was also happy with the fact that they have used intricate but understated detailing like lace, embroidery and ruffles in a way that would suit the classy ladies that (I expect) wear Valentino.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Drape me for the summer

During the last London Fashion Week there were a few shows Giulia and I attended and really enjoyed but never had the time to post about. Krystof Strozyna is one of them. This Central Saint Martins graduate won the Harrods Design Award in 2007, the same year he finished his studies in the famous uni. The award allowed him to display his collection at Harrods, exposing his work to the press, which gladly received it and promptly featured it in countless editorials. His SS11 collection coincided with the launch of his diffusion line —Krystof. Both collections share the designer's signature sculptural lines, chunky wooden jewellery and the search for a modern and understated elegance. For his main line, an overall muted colour palette was illuminated by neon violets, greens and fuchsias and a modern, almost futuristic take on flower and animal prints. The draping of chiffons and silks was exceptionally well done and contrasted beautifully with the raw-looking lace that made up skirts, dresses and leggings.

I couldn't find pictures from the diffusion line (apart from those on my lookbook) but I encourage you to keep a look out for it. It has an incredible range of day-to-night dresses in nude and black featuring Strozyna's famous drapery as well as some very versatile minimalistic separates. Enjoy our video of the main line finale!

Check out the rest of our LFW SS11 videos here.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Krystof Strozyna, lottie-loo.blogspot.com, blog.krisatomic.com]

Inside out

We're back! Sorry for the few days absence but Giulia and I felt like taking a little break after the very intense fashion month coverage. From now on we'll be reporting on the rest of the shows we loved as well as on anything relevant for FW10. Today's post comes from the hand of two very close people to me —my sister Paloma (left) and my favourite Spanish fashionista Paula (right). They were kind enough to attend the SS11 Ana Locking show during Madrid Fashion Week as Giulia and I couldn't make it because it coincided with LFW. Big thanks to my sis for taking the pictures and to Pau for writing the review of the collection.

Red light panels, loud electronic music, and then, there was light. Ana Locking opened in Madrid Cibeles fashion week, to a show filled with psychedelic designs, transparencies, asymmetrical shapes, and magical lace. INSIDES was the name given to the collection, and it was that exactly which inspired the prints and the colours, pictures of the insides of the human body viewed through a microscopic lens, introducing abstract compositions that reminded of innocent and beautiful sites of terrestrial nature.
The weight appropriate models, as Cibeles fashion week rules establish, marched down the runway with dresses in various warm colours, and lace dresses and skirts that belong in the closet of Goddess Dello Russo. Above all, the show was rather provocative, the lace and transparencies were truly a pleasure for the eye, as were the dresses and trousers that flowed as if drawing the shapes of the wind. There was a certain juxtaposition, in pairing up the trousers, and the lace skirts and dresses, with clean cut blazers displaying a bare back, and held together with leather belts, which broke the sobriety of such a classic garment. Locking portrays a woman comfortable in her own skin (or insides in this case), with low back and necklines, provocative and sexy, yet subtle and elegant enough, to wear anywhere, from a yacht party in Corcega, to dinner at sunset in Ibiza. Ana Locking dressed the outside with the insides, combined lace and leather, used asymmetrical lines and clean cuts, and merged science and fashion, to a final triumphant result, giving us all yet another reason to keep Madrid Cibeles Fashion Week on our radar.

Check out Ana Locking's website here. You can also follow my sister and Paula on twitter to see what they get up to.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Ana Locking, soVIPzone]

It's gonna be alright

When I found out about Alexander McQueen's passing I told myself I would never like anyone's creations for his namesake brand. Then I worried about the house's future if no one could find somebody who could remotely fill Lee's shoes. Shortly after this rush of sentiments, the LVMH group announced Sarah Burton's appointment as new creative director. Knowing she had spent 15 years very close to McQueen gave me hope. But it wasn't until yesterday that we finally learnt we can rest assured everything's going to be alright. The space for the SS11 collection set a much more relaxed mood that we are used to for these shows, which seemed to be Burton's add to the brand. She played with the idea of a queen of nature. Leather leaves, pheasant feathers, butterflies and golden poison ivy wrapped around the body and shared space with McQueen's gilded staples typical of monarchic outfitting. Not only Burton didn't disappoint but she aroused an excitement we thought gone.

Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri finally found a path for Valentino. After seasons of creative wandering around they started walking in the right direction on their last Couture collection and they successfully translated that vision for the prêt-á-porter line. The Italian duo wanted "dangerous refinement", made evident in the combination of materials; a tough straw lace skirt paired up with delicate Chantilly lace. Ruffles and bows, which had characterised previous collections, blended into the pieces instead of becoming protagonists. Chiffon played the biggest role on the evening wear, floating like a sophisticated jellyfish over simple, harder shapes in line with the juxtaposition of the delicate and the dangerous. The overall feel of the SS11 line was much younger (very celebrity-appealing) and focused but miles away from Garavani's legacy, which has now been reduced to a mere tag.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Introducing: Irwin & Jordan

Last London Fashion Week, Laia (the beautiful girl in the header) and I paid a visit to the LFW showrooms at Somerset House. We were surprised by how boring most collections were and quickly decided to leave led by disappointment. As we did, a few camel and grey pieces caught my attention from inside a room labeled 'Irwin & Jordan'. It turned out to be a very young British brand which defines itself very aptly as a mixture of "Savile Row tailoring, contemporary cuts and heritage fabrics". Their FW10 collection is, in fact, all of that. Jersey, leather and lace mix with unbelievable tailoring and beautiful silk creating very interesting juxtapositions. The restricted colour palette makes the line cohesive but doesn't limit diversity. Nudes, greys, camel and black are mixed the odd navy and metallics to, again, create super interesting results.

My favourite pieces were the amazing grey suit on the right (make it for men, please), the lace pieces and the grey jersey dress with the leather front that I'm holding at the bottom left. Laia and I also loved the metallic sequinned tunic I seem so amused about. We emulated all the I die's and it's perfection's Giulia would have screamed had she seen a piece so her.

Check out their awesome SS10 collection on their website for more comfortable edgy clothes where you can purchase them as well.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Laia Bonastre, Irwin & Jordan]

embroidered flowers

I have been blogging a lot about celebrities in the past few days, which is not because I intend to but because I am ever astonished at the amount of FW10 pieces that we have seen at events only a couple of weeks after fashion month came to an end. In any case, this has to be one of my favourite celebrity moments so far (in regards to FW10, that is). Emma Watson has that classic British mixture of neatness, coolness and casualness that works great with any dress. She pretty much rocked this Christopher Kane with embroidered leather and lace (one of my favourite collections of the season). I specially loved how the sides of the slightly A-shape skirt have been tucked in for her to give the dress a more body-con and young silhouette. Do you love Kemma? (Kane/Emma - I know, I am hilarious).

[Pictures: Style.com, JustJared]

I'm off.

PS. Do you follow us on tumblr yet? Click here and get twice as much soVIPzone!

mum, I make my own clothes

As someone would say, Rodarte was beyond. Every time I'm about to watch a runway show by someone I admire (be it in person, video or pictures) I have this conflict in my mind —They can't do wrong, but what if they do? What if they've gone bonkers and totally missed the point? Well, as I dealt with this little internal debacle of mine the Rodarte FW10 show finally started and then my doubts were blown away.
I loved the music, the dominance of whites and the shoes —some espadrille-like derivates more folky than the wedge ones we've seen before. I quite dug the slightly baggy virginal lace that covered arms and legs. The layering and fascinating mixture of fabrics were somewhat ethereal yet realistic and skilfully draped, twisted and shredded in the Rodarte manner that we know and love. I couldn't keep California out of my mind and kept wondering whether this was some sort of return to their roots —a doubt that still wanders my mind due to the lousy sound of the interview with the Mulleavys after the show.
The finale was pretty amazing. As the last four models stood in the middle the lights dimmed and switched to neons that gave a very different view of the dresses and even more magical. As Elvis uttered the first lines of the quite appropriate 'Blue Moon' the rest of the models walked the runway once again given the impression that it was a whole new collection.

[Screen captures from the streaming show at ShowStudio]

I'm off.

Charlace Theron & the curious case of Jennifer Hudson

Every season I tend to develop attachments for a specific item or two in the womenswear section. Last season it was this beige and black Proenza Schouler jacket and a very particular Lanvin necklace. SS10 is yet to hit the stores but so far I keep going back to Stella McCartney's lace pieces (just like an ex). So I was ecstatic when I woke up this morning and I saw a very chic Charlize walking out of Mr. Chow (how I love that restaurant) in Beverly Hills.

[Picture credits: Celebrity-Gossip.net, Stella McCartney jacket @ Net-a-Porter]

The Curious Case of Jennifer Hudson should really be a story covered by all the main papers. How can somebody that looked like a stuffed sausage in anything can look so sexy and alluring just by losing a few pounds? I beseech your help, I want to know the story. And she really rocked that now signature Victoria Beckham (how weird does that sound?) at the Grammy's.

[Picture credits: Style.com, Victoria Beckham dress @ Net-a-Porter]

I'm off.